The Fear That Comes With Fame
by SuperTeenNewsieAvengerGal
Summary: Cato and Clove are the best tributes that District Two has to offer. They've been "aquaintances" for a long time now, but after the long training and the interviews, Cato and Clove begin to have disagreements. Will they fix it in time for The Games?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everybody! I saw the midnight premier of The Hunger Games on Thursday, and I got really excited about Cato and Clove…so guess who this story might possibly be about? Anyways, I am so sorry about not updating my SYOT for The Hunger Games, it's harder than I thought. And also, I apologize to everybody else for any of the other stories I have written that I haven't finished yet…**

**But I hope you all enjoy!**

**(By the way, I don't own The Hunger Games…that would make me really rich…)**

**Chapter One: The Reaping**

I looked at myself in the mirror. I was wearing a silver dress that went down to my knees, and sparkled when I moved. My hair was fashioned into an intricate bun, and had a silver flower clipped in beside it. I smirked to myself as I slid my best set of knives into a well fashioned pocket in my dress. This was the last time I would just be "Clove" from District Two. Next time I come back, I'll be a whole lot more than that.

I walk into the family living room and find my older brother waiting for me. My parents were already at the Capitol, because they helped out when extra hands were needed there; during events like the Hunger Games. My brother, Malay, was to escort me to the Reaping today. He was nineteen, and had volunteered for the Hunger Games last year, but someone else's hand was seen before his. At least he was brave enough to try.

"Well don't you look spiffy." He said to me. I rolled my eyes.

"Can't you at least try to update your language a bit? You sound like Grandpa."

"Sorry, hot stuff." He replied jokingly. I sighed. No wonder this kid didn't have a girlfriend.

"You are so funny Malay. So funny that it makes me want to cut your throat out." I retort hastily.

"I take that as a great compliment coming from you, Clove. You are the best of the best after all." I smile at this.

"Am I really?" I ask, looking into my brother's dark eyes with my own large pair. He takes my hand and brings it to his lips, a form of flattery.

"Undoubtedly."

"Cato?" a small voice asks. I turn to see my younger sister, Marissa, looking up at me with big eyes.

"What do you want, Marissa?" I ask, sighing. Today is the day of the Reaping. She may only be ten, but she should know better than to disturb me on this important day.

"Please don't go." She says quietly. I stop what I'm doing immediately. When I turn around to look at her again, she is crying. Most people would expect me to start yelling at her for having this insane idea, but not with her. She's my little sister, and she's the only one who can get away with it. I hold out my arms, and she runs into them. I pick her up easily, and she cries into my shoulder.

"I don't want you to go, Cato. Please?" she whimpers into my ear. I set her down, and kneel so I am closer to her height.

"I have to, Marissa. It's my last year to try. And you know how Mom and Dad are…" she nods sympathetically. "But I'll be back soon, and we both know it. Okay?"

"Okay."

"You know I love you, right?"

"Yeah." She replies. I begin walking out the door, getting ready for my last moments as a normal kid from District Two.

"Cato?" she says, and I turn around again. She smiles at me weakly. "Please don't die."

And from that moment on, I swear I won't.

Malay and I walked to the square together, until the time came for me to check in. He kissed my forehead, and then ran off to find some of his friends. I joined the long line of District Two girls. I looked to my right and scanned the parallel line of boys. Like the girls in my line, the boys all looked confident. Maybe it was because they all knew Cato and I were volunteering without a doubt. I spotted my fellow tribute (well, soon-to-be tribute), and we caught each other's eyes. He smirked at me, and I smirked right back. Life was an endless competition between us. We have known each other since the day I began training at age ten. He was thirteen, yet on that day I got a higher score at the knife throwing station. He had gotten extremely mad, and challenged me to a sword fight, but my brother, knowing Cato's anger issues, prevented this from happening. He recommended that the fight should commence at the end of the month. And so it did. And it happened every month after that as well, up until this year. I didn't plan on volunteering, but the next oldest girl was thirteen, and I was ready anyways. This whole year we had been training together at the Academy to prepare for situations inside the arena. This year, District Two would win, no matter what.

So now, here we are, at the 74th Annual Hunger Games.

And we're ready to fight.

**How was that? So anyways, I would love it if you guys could review! It means a lot to me. Also, every time there is a line break, the POV changes. Just in case you were wondering!**

**R+R**

**SBF726**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again my fellow Hunger Games Fanatics! How do you like this story so far? I like it a lot right now. But I don't know what y'all think! Please take some time to review! Por favor!**

**Anyways, here comes chapter two. Excited?**

**Oh, by the way, I don't own Hunger Games…sorry to disappoint…**

**Chapter Two: The Tributes**

"Welcome District Two!" the announcer, I think his name is Cassius, says brightly. I watch him intently, truly paying attention for the first time since I was twelve. Last year, Clove's brother Malay had missed his chance to be the male tribute from our District. His hand shot up a split second after another boy, and unfortunately, it was his last eligible year. That would not happen to me today.

"Well, let's pick our lady first!" Cassius said. His hand picked up the first slip of paper it touched, and before he could even finish the name, a voice from within the crowd of girls shouted, "I volunteer!" The girls parted and let Clove pass them by. She walked up to the stage confidently, and Cassius held out his microphone for her to tell the District her name. Not as if everybody already knew her.

"What's your name, darling?" he asked her. She smirked.

"Clove Hendrickson." She stated. He smiled and patted her on the back.

"That's a wonderful name darling, now, on to the boys!" Cassius boomed. His hand was entering the bowl, while mine was at my shoulder, getting ready to shoot into the air. He pulls out a slip, and takes a breath before reading the name.

"I VOLUNTEER!" I shout. Everyone turns to look at me, which is no surprise. The crowd begins to applaud for me, because they have seen me prepare for the past years just to do this. Clove's face turns from a smirk to a frown. They didn't even clap for her. I join her on stage, and smile at her. She lightens her frown up to a grimace.

"Well, don't just stand there! Shake hands!" Cassius shouts. I look at Clove, and hold my hand out to her. And for the very first time, she doesn't need to be chucking knives at someone to sincerely smile back at me.

_Why am I smiling at him? _I think to myself. This is not like me. The only time I ever smile at Cato is when I am trying to brutally maim or injure him. But now, shaking hands with him, I feel like we're finally a team. Even though we're not. There is only one winner in the end.

Finally we both release our hands, and Cassius (I think his name is), ushers us to the Justice Building. Cato and I are in separate rooms now, waiting for our friends and family to say goodbye. But one of us will be back soon. We have no competition.

I wait for a full minute and a half before Malay comes to see me. He holds a ring in his hand. It is silver, with a large gem in the center of it. He hands it to me.

"Congratulations, little sister. Are you sure of your choice?" he asks me, looking almost bored to be here.

"It's not like a have a choice now, Malay. Anyways, I'll say hello to Mom and Dad for you."

"Good. I'm thrilled that you are bringing a message to Mom and Dad, Clove." He says sarcastically.

"Malay, don't joke around with me now." I say, and he looks at me in the eyes. I hold out the ring. "Why'd you give me this?"

"It's a ring. I figured it could be your token." He says shrugging. I roll my eyes.

"If I wanted to have a token, I would want something useful. Not some stupid jewelry item."

"Well then…" he says, taking the ring back, " I guess you wouldn't want a ring spiked with a sharp needle with deadly poison in it?" I whip my head around.

"Give me that!" I shout, grabbing for it. He laughs, and hands it to me. I put it on my finger, and stare at it.

"You haven't changed a bit." He whispers. I look up at him, and smile. He gives me a hug, because his time is almost up.

"You better win, Clove. Or I'll never hear the end of it from Mom and Dad." He tells me.

"I will, Malay. Have you no trust in your little sister?"

"My sarcastic fifteen year old sister? No." he says. The Peacekeeper is knocking on the door now.

"But my sadistic and merciless fifteen year old sister I have faith in." he finishes. He leaves the room, and I am blessed with the sound of silence for the rest of my time here in District Two.

**WOO! Chapter Two DONE! Oh, by the way, I know Glimmer was supposed to have the ring, but I needed something for Clove to get form her brother that could be deadly. So…yeah…**


	3. Chapter 3

**HELLO READERS! Ready for Chapter Three? I know I am!**

**So yeah….I don't own Hunger Games….but I do own Malay and Marissa from previous chapters…**

**Chapter Three: Off to the Capitol**

This train is moving too slow. I want to get to the Capitol already. I look over at Clove, who is twirling a butter knife in her hand, obviously bored. Our mentors, Enobaria and Brutus were nowhere to be found, and all Clove and I had seen so far were a couple of Avoxes who had come to serve us food.

The door of our compartment slides open smoothly, and two adults walk in. I had seen them on the television before, and they looked the same as they did before.

"So these are our tributes." Brutus states, crossing his arms. Enobaria smiles viciously.

"I don't know Brutus, they look like fighters to me." She states as she looks at Clove.

"We are fighters." I say loudly. These two were already getting on my nerves. Brutus chuckles, and turns to Clove.

"Are you a fighter darling? Because you sure don't seem like one." He states, putting one finger under her chin and tilting her face upwards. Clove whips a knife out of nowhere, and holds it to Brutus's neck.

"Don't be condescending." She states simply. Brutus nods, and smiles at us.

"We've got winners this year, Enobaria. I can just feel it."

"What are your names?" Enobaria asks us.

"Cato." I tell her.

"Clove."

"And I assume you are both eighteen? District Two is pretty careful about their volunteers…" Brutus says, predicting the usual.

"I'm fifteen." Clove states. Enobaria smirks.

"Well, aren't you special then." She spits snarkily. Then she stomps out of the compartment, and leaves us with Brutus.

"She wasn't allowed in early." Brutus sighs. "But apparently you are special. District Two is known to be careful in the volunteers they pick."

"She throws knives." I add. Clove looks at me surprised, like I had never watched her in the training center.

"He fights with swords." She interrupts. I can tell she wants a fight, and it's a fight she'll get.

"She never misses her target."

"He never loses a match."

"She's been training since she was five."

"He got moved up to the advanced class at age ten—"

"WILL YOU BOTH SHUT UP?" Brutus shouts. Both Clove and I have risen off of our seats, and for the past couple of seconds, we had been yelling in each other's faces. Clove crosses her arms and sits down. I follow suit.

"Now that you two have finished arguing over the better fighter, can we get down to business?" Both of us nod. "Great. I assume you will join up with District One and form the typical alliance? You are all Careers after all."

"That was my plan." Clove states. Her voice is no longer harsh and loud, but soft and agreeable.

"Same here."

"Good. Now once we can get Enobaria to come back, we can form more specific plans, and angles for the sponsors." He looks at me. "I'm sure you'll have no trouble playing confident and respectable?"

"Not a problem." I respond immediately. Brutus looks to Clove.

"And you my dear, based upon our introduction to each other, shouldn't have a problem acting innocent and sweet?"

"I'll do my best." She says.

"Alrighty then. I'm going to head back to my room, and you two can converse on your own. Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor." He says. Both Clove and I watch him leave, and then we embrace a long and awkward silence.

"So…" she begins after a while.

"So…what?" I reply. I don't know what to talk about. It's not like District Two people make small talk a lot.

"So…what's your plan for the arena? I mean, besides the whole Career alliance thing?" she asks me. Based on her expression, she doesn't know what to talk about either.

"Well, once the bloodbath kids are killed, we'll have to kill who we can."

"And the other Careers?" she questions me. Her eyebrows are raised, waiting for the answer.

"We could kill them in their sleep, I guess. Or have a torturous battle of our own." Clove nods.

"The Capitol would like that." She says quietly. Then she looks down at her hands, and the silence begins again. Thankfully, we are saved by our district's reaping announcer, Cassius. He smiles, and sits down by us. The Capitol is a very odd place in the sense of appearance. He has vivid green hair and a thick line of blue eyeliner on as well. He wears a bright suit, colors ranging from bright to dark, mostly cold hues. Greens, blues, and purples spot his outfit, and make him look even weirder.

"So, Cato and Clove, right?" he asks us as he begins opening a bottle of pink liquid.

"Yes." Clove replies. She has returned to her bored state, playing around with a butter knife and ignoring the world around her.

"You are both very…confident people." Cassius says carefully.

"Confident?" I ask him. He nods, or gulps. I can't really tell which. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean…you both volunteered…and Clove at such a young age and all…"

"I can manage myself perfectly fine, thank you." Clove says. Then she leaves the car. Probably off to explore another compartment.

Leaving me with the bright colored idiot.

"She's right. She's a really strong girl." I tell Cassius.

"And you?" he asks me. I feel my anger start to flare again.

"What? I don't _look_ strong? I don't _look _like I could handle the games?" I shout at him. He stands up quickly, attempting to leave before I get too mad, but he spills his pink drink all over me. The look of pure fear is now plastered on his face.

"I am so sorry…let me fix…" he begins, but I stand up to my full height, a good foot taller than him, and he whimpers like a kicked puppy. I push him as hard as I can, and he falls into the refreshment table. I smile, and leave the compartment. He doesn't know it, but he's lucky. I showed a lot of restraint there, whether he thought so or not.

But restraint is something I won't have to worry about in a couple days, now is it?


End file.
